Seed-drill



(No Model.)

N. J. JOHNSON.'

SEED DRILL No. 450,513. Patented Apr. 14, 1891.

. www mwwwwww mwwmww mm j a W// www UNITED STATES NELS J. JOHNSON, OFGRAFTON, NORTH DAKOTA.

SEED-DRILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,513, dated April14, 1891.

Application filed December 6,1890- Serial No. 373,770. (No model.)

To all whmn it nuzy concern:

Be it known that I, NELS J. JOHNSON, of Grafton, in the county of WValshand State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Seed-D rills; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in tubes for seed-drills; and itconsists in the special construction hereinafter fully described, andpointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to form the seed-tubes of aseeding-machine out of coilsprings which automatically close when thedrills are raised, and which exert an upward pull or lifting movementupon the drills, and which automatically lengthen out and form the tubeas the drills are lowered into position.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a seed-drill to which myinvention is applied, the drill being raised and the tube closed. Fig. 2is an enlarged detail view showing the drill lowered and the tubeextended. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the tube in its normalposition and the large end down.

A represents a small ring or tube, to the lower outer side of which oneend of the spring B, composed, preferably, of steel, is secured, and O alarger ring or tube, inside of which the opposite end of the spring issecured.

The spring B is preferably tapering from end to end, but maybe made ofthe same size from end to en d, if desired, and is coiled like anordinary clock-spring. When closed, the spring coils up inside of thelarger ring or tube 0, as shown in Fig. 3. Either one of these rings ortubes may be fastened to the seed-box and the other to the upper end ofthe drill, according as it is desired to have the tube large at itsupper .end and small at its lower one, onsmall at its upper end andlarge at its lower one. The lower ring is secured to a cup or socket Din some instances, as shown in Fig. 3, which is formed upon the upperend of the tube E, which CZIl TlGS an opener F at its lower end, and tothis tube E the elevating bars or levers G are secured. As the drillsare lowered their weight automatically falls and lengthens out thetubes, and when the drills are raised the springs in returning to theirnormal position exert a liftingtension upon the drills for the purposeof assisting in raising them. When the drills are raised, the whole ofthe spring disappears inside of the larger ring or tube 0; but when thedrills are lowered a tapering perfectlyformed tube is produced.

Heretofore a tapering spring or strip has been used which is spirallycoiled, and this I disclaim. My invention diifers from this in using aspring which is either tapering or made thesame width from end to end,as preferred, and which is coiled likea clock-spring, andwhich inclosing exerts a lifting strain upon the drills for the purpose ofassisting in lifting it.

The method of forming the collapsible tube B is to take eitherataperingor straight piece of steel band and form it into a coil-spring, wherebyit is made normally contracting and lifts itself into the large tube 0and assists in raising the tubes E, which are connected thereto.'lhis-construction is very desirable, for the reason thata-seed-drillhas from twelve to sixteen drag-bars and tubes, all of whichmust be raised at once. There a spirally- Wound spring is used, aconstant downward pressure is exerted and it requires a very strongperson to raise all of the drills at once, and in the course of a day isextremely laborious and has made the invention above referred toimpractical; but where the tube is formed of a coiled spring the normalposition of which is closed a very slight pressure upon theoperating-lever will raise all of the tubes, which enables a drill to beused by a boy, where heretofore only a very strong man could operate it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A drill-tube consistingof a normallycoiled spring, a large tube, to the inner side of which theouter end of the spring is con nected,asn1all tube, to the outer side ofwhich the opener, substantially as and for the pur- 10 the inner end ofthe spring is connected, and an opener connected to the lowertube,Whereby the spring-tube is normally closed, for the purposes setforth, substantially as shown.

in testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

2. A seed-drill consisting of a coiled spring NELS J. JOHNSON. whichnormally closes, the upper end of which 1 W itnesses: is connected tothe frame, and an opener con- 1 D. U. MOORE,

nected to its lower end, Wherebythc tube lifts FRED. W. MILLER.

poses set forth. i

